A Neat Time Drinking

As most of you know I was out on assignment last week in Jamaica. I am not going to bore you with all the details of the week, but I wanted to relay one observation. I was at one of the Piano Bar, one five bars at the resort I was staying, one evening and I was in the mood for something big and brown. (Get your minds out of the gutters) While they had a great selection of Rums, they did not have much variety in the Whiskeys they carried. Their idea of an American Whiskey was Jack Daniels and as most of you know this is not one of my favorites. I did spy a bottle of Johnny Walker Black so I had my selection for the night. I ordered my Scotch as I always do, neat. The young Jamaican bartender looked me with a puzzled look on his face and I simply said no ice. He smiled and reached for the bottle. I turned and was making some light conversation with one of the other guest at the bar while the piano player was singing a Sinatra tune. When I reached for my glass I was just in time to witness my highball glass being filled an eighth of an inch from the top. I was the one who now had a puzzled look on my face and the young bartender smiled and asked, “Ok Mon?” To which I replied, “Excellent and tell the help in the morning cleaning up just to sweep around me.” The bartender and I both had a good laugh and I returned to listening to Sinatra. After Happy Hour I proceeded to the dining room and went to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. To my surprise the same bartender was now working in the dining room bar and recognized me and again poured my drink to the top. I had a great evening and a great vacation (and no I did not wake up on the floor) and would like to add that it is very difficult to get your mind around the fact that in these Jamaican Resorts the staff works 16 hour days for very little pay, are not allowed to take tips and get very little time off and always have a smile on their faces and are very service orientated. Speaking of Johnny Walker I have a blind Johnny Walker tasting scheduled for next week so look for a blow by blow report coming to @mysideofthebar on Twitter as well as a blog near you. Cheers The Professor

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